


soar

by renaissance



Series: Haikyuu!! Rarepair Week 2015 [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, HQ Rarepair Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-20 01:25:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3631437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renaissance/pseuds/renaissance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five hundred billion times when Daichi doesn't notice Yui's crush on him, and one time he does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	soar

**Author's Note:**

> [Haikyuu!! Rarepair Week](http://hqrarepairweek.tumblr.com) Day 4: Childhood / Unrequited
> 
>  
> 
> So I've been power-writing this for the last few hours (don't worry, I did start earlier, I was just finishing it) and now it's nearing 1 in the morning and wow, this got away from me. It may well end up being my longest fic this week. (Any mistakes or typos, mea culpa and let me know please!) Initially I was just going to go with childhood, but then I decided that I really wanted to write an unrequited fic from the POV of the person who doesn't requite the feelings, and this idea formed. Hope you enjoy!

Daichi is five when he meets a girl with a smile wider than he can stretch his fingers, on the swings at the park and going higher than he’s ever been able to go. He’s jealous when he sees her flying so high above the ground, so he runs up to her and grabs the swing’s chain as she’s coming down.

“Daichi!” his mum scolds. “You can’t just—”

“It’s alright,” the girl says. She has a glint in her eye as she jumps off the swing. “Bet you can’t go higher than me!”

“Bet I can,” Daichi says.

The girl laughs at that. She says “Good luck!” as she steps aside from the swing, clasping her hands behind her back. Daichi’s mum gives up, heading to the side of the playground.

Daichi jumps onto the swing, puffing out his chest a bit to make sure that the girl who gave up the swing for him is duly impressed, and feels like she made the right decision. He kicks off, which is not something the other kids do—they all ask for someone to push them, but Daichi doesn’t need that. He’s worked out the best ways to move his body so that he can go higher than anyone else.

He still can’t get as high as the girl before him, though.

As the wind rushes around him he leans forward, craning his neck to see above the trees at the far end of the playground. Just a bit further, and he’ll surpass her, just a bit—he’s so close when his fingers slip from the chains and he goes flying, _really_ flying, and he thinks maybe he’ll sprout wings.

A second later, he falls face-first into the dirt.

Daichi is not a cry-baby, but he can feel raw, grazed skin on his knees, and worse than that, he’s made a fool of himself in front of his recently-declared arch rival, so he weeps. He rolls onto his back and covers his eyes with his hands so that no-one can see him crying, and when he tentatively moves them apart, he sees his mum and the girl from the swing kneeling over him.

“Daichi, are you alright?” his mum asks, a hint of panic in her voice.

“I’m fine,” Daichi mumbles. The only thing he’s _really_ hurt is his pride.

“You went really high!” the girl says. “It was so cool!”

Daichi catches her eye, and she has that same wide grin on her face. Slowly, he smiles back.

“I’m Yui,” she says. “Let’s be friends!”

“We need to get you first aid,” Daichi’s mum says.

“I’m _fiiiine_ ,” Daichi whines.

His mum doesn’t brook any argument, though, and drags Daichi by the hand towards their car.

“Maybe I’ll see you around, Yui!” Daichi calls.

 

* * *

 

As Daichi looks around, he notices that most of the other first years look nervous. The idea of starting middle school never worried him, though, and now that he’s here all he wants to do is find the sign-up sheet for the volleyball club.

He weaves his way through clusters of third years until he sees something that looks vaguely like a volleyball.

“Excuse me, is this the volleyball club?”

Two third year girls take one look at him and laugh. “This is the _girls’_ volleyball club,” one of them says. “You want the boys’ club.”

“Where are they?” Daichi asks.

“Down near three-five, I think,” the other girl says.

“Thanks!” Daichi says, turning to run off. As he spins around, though, he bumps into a girl, a bit shorter than him, who startles at the contact.

“Oh my god, are you—” she begins.

“Sorry!” Daichi interrupts. “Sorry, I’m sorry, I have to go!”

He breaks into a run towards where he imagines class three-five to be.

“Am I too late?”

One of the third years—the captain, maybe?—laughs at Daichi. It’s becoming an alarming trend. “Too late?”

“To sign up for the volleyball club!”

“Of course it’s not too late,” the third year says. “I’ll just finish up with—sorry, what was your name again?”

“Ikejiri Hayato,” says another boy, who Daichi didn’t even notice.

“Great,” the third year says. “We’ve had so many sign-ups this year.”

Daichi stands on his toes. “I’m Sawamura Daichi!”

“Steady,” the third year mutters, laughing a bit. “I’ll get to you in a second.”

It’s worth the short wait to see his name on the sign-up list. After that, Daichi starts chatting to Ikejiri, and they compare their schedules and start putting aside time for extra volleyball. Daichi is miles more enthusiastic than Ikejiri, but Ikejiri is patient, and that’s all Daichi needs.

Their first practice together is incredible, though. The team at Izumidate is so much better than any group of people Daichi’s ever played with, and he comes out of it feeling more energised than when he went in.

“How are you not exhausted?” Ikejiri asks.

“I just want to keep playing!” Daichi says. “Hey, is the girls’ team still practicing? Do you think they’ll let me join them?”

“You’re obsessed,” Ikejiri says, laughing.

Daichi cranes his neck to see if the girls are still going, but it looks like they’re packing up and leaving too. He’s about to turn away and head to the bus stop with Ikejiri when one of the girls calls out to him.

“HEY! DAICHI!”

“How does she know my name?” Daichi whispers, sidestepping to hide behind Ikejiri.

“How should I know?” Ikejiri replies.

The girl runs over, waving her arms. “Hey, hey! Don’t you remember me?”

“Remember—”

“I’m _Yui_ ,” she says, like that should explain everything. “Michimiya Yui.”

“I don’t know any Michimiya,” Daichi says, rubbing the back of his head. Ikejiri has disappeared somewhere and Daichi is _so_ going to yell at him tomorrow.

“Of course you don’t,” Michimiya says, “because I only introduced myself as Yui. Remember, at the park, when we were kids? You fell off the swing—”

“No way,” Daichi says, the memory slowly crawling into the foreground of his mind. He can’t believe she remembers his name. “You were the girl who could swing higher than anyone I’d ever seen!”

Michimiya blushes a bit at that. “You could go pretty high too!”

“Can you still do it?” Daichi asks.

“I haven’t been able to fit in a swing for years,” Michimiya says, looking away.

“Bet you could,” Daichi says. “Where’s the nearest park?”

“You’re really competitive, huh?” Michimiya asks.

Daichi shrugs. “If I remember, _you_ were the one who bet I couldn’t swing higher than you.”

“Are you going to put your money where your mouth is?”

Michimiya punches him in the arm, which Daichi isn’t expecting at all. He rubs the spot, playing it up a bit, but Michimiya isn’t paying attention anymore. She’s several paces away, gesturing to the school gates.

“There’s a park a few streets away,” she says. “You want to go now?”

Ikejiri is nowhere to be seen, along with the rest of the volleyball team. There’s just Michimiya around, and a few of the girls on her team.

“Yeah,” Daichi says. “You’re on.”

 

* * *

 

Theoretically, Daichi should have expected this.

Izumidate holds a cultural festival every year, and they encourage each class to do something different to raise money. Ikejiri’s class is in charge of games, and Daichi’s class is selling street food.

Michimiya’s class is doing a maid café.

“You have to hide me,” she says, ducking behind the counter where Daichi’s loading up a paper box with noodles.

“How come?” he asks.

“They’re trying to get me into a maid outfit,” Michimiya whispers. “I _told_ Kawashima I’d rather be a butler, or even behind the counter making tea, but only like five of the boys are wearing dresses, and—”

“So you’re just going to run away?” Daichi asks. “You should be more forceful, Michimiya-kun.”

Michimiya narrows her eyes. “Foreceful how?”

“Just tell Kawashima-kun that that you don’t want to!” he says, handing the noodles over to the customer. “Tell her that you can make great tea.”

“Sawamura-kun, I can’t do that,” Michimiya says, running a hand through her hair. “She’s been to my house. She’s seen me trying to make tea. She knows how bitter it gets.”

“Tell her you’ve improved,” Daichi says. “Don’t give up!”

“I’m not giving up,” Michimiya says. “I’m just running away.”

“Running away _is_ giving up,” Daichi says. “Come on. Don’t hang around. Go back and face your fears.”

Michimiya grumbles something under her breath that Daichi can’t make out.

“What was that?”

“I _said_ , I don’t _want_ to…”

“That’s the worst excuse ever,” Daichi says.

Michimiya sighs and steps back as Daichi takes another order. He wonders about her, sometimes. Surely there’s something better to do than hang around and pretend like she doesn’t want to be found? He knows she likes Kawashima, and that she has plenty of friends in her class. Unless—

“Ah,” Daichi says. “You’re worried that you won’t look good in the dress.”

“That’s certainly part of it,” Michimiya says.

“Well, don’t,” he says. “I’m sure you’ll look cute.”

Michimiya doesn’t respond to that, so Daichi turns back to the counter and looks around to see if anyone else wants to order. It seems like all the others are taking care of the customers, though, so he looks back at Michimiya. She’s bright red—Daichi reasons that the heat of the stall must be getting to her.

“Hey, I’ll take a break,” Daichi calls, and nudges Michimiya in the arm. “Come on, let’s get some fresh air.”

They walk for a while, away from the stalls and into a more quiet part of the school grounds.

“Sawamura-kun,” Michimiya says. “I—”

She pauses, looking away and putting a fist to her mouth.

“You… ?”

“I really like you, Sawamura-kun,” Michimiya says.

“I really like you too,” Daichi says, smiling. “I’m glad to have a friend like you.”

“Right,” Michimiya says. “Friends—good friends—that’s it.”

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Ikejiri.” Daichi leans across the table in the library and prods Ikejiri with the blunt end of his pencil. “Hey.”

Ikejiri looks up from his notebook. He does not look impressed.

“Hey, have you seen Michimiya?”

“No, I _haven’t_ seen her,” Ikejiri says. “What are you even doing here if you want to hang out with Michimiya?”

Daichi sighs. “That’s just it. We were meant to be meeting here and then going to the movies, but she hasn’t shown up.”

“Do you think she’s dead?” Ikejiri deadpans, looking back down at his notes.

“ _What_.”

“I’m _joking_ , Sawamura,” Ikejiri says, laughing. “Why’re you so worried, anyway?”

“Well, it’s not like her to be late,” Daichi says.

“Maybe you should think a bit deeper about that answer,” Ikejiri says.

He’s being vague, but Daichi reckons that’s just because they’ve got exams soon. Everyone’s a little stressed—in fact, maybe that’s why Michimiya hasn’t shown up yet. Maybe she was studying and fell asleep. Maybe she’s _still_ studying and has decided that getting good grades is more important than having fun.

Leaning back in his seat, Daichi gives up, just a bit. He gets out his science notes and a highlighter, and starts reading in earnest. He gets through three sentences about Newton’s First Law before his shoulders start to slump.

“Hey, Ikejiri—”

“Do your work, Sawamura.”

“Right,” Daichi says. Yeah, Ikejiri is right. There’s nothing to worry about, and he should just power through it.

The seconds pass slowly, and the minutes even slower, and then it’s half an hour since Daichi was meant to meet Michimiya and he still doesn’t quite understand inertia and why the centrifugal force isn’t a _real_ force. It’s not that he’s bad at science—he’s near the top of his class, actually—but nothing is getting into his head right now.

Thankfully, there’s an interruption from the library entrance.

“Sawamura!”

Daichi jolts upright. “Michimiya! You made it!” he shouts back, shoving his books into his bag and scrambling to his feet. “Catch you later, Ikejiri.”

“Have fun on your date,” Ikejiri says.

On his way out of the library, Daichi pauses to wonder why Ikejiri would possibly think he’s going on a date. He’s just going to the movies with Michimiya—that’s nothing like a date.

“What took you so long?” he asks.

“Sorry,” Michimiya says. “I was—uh, I sort of freaked out, because—”

“Exam stress, huh?” Daichi says. “You’re smart, though. You shouldn’t need to worry.”

Michimiya exhales. “Yeah. I know. T-thank you, Sawamura.”

Daichi laughs. He’s relieved, actually, that Michimiya was just stressing, and not dead or anything. It’s so like her to be worried about exams. It happened last year, and the year before—Daichi should have realised earlier.

“Maybe a movie will help calm you down, if we’re not too late?” he suggests.

“We’ll make it if we hurry,” Michimiya says.

Daichi grins at her. “Race you to the end of the corridor?”

He sprints ahead before Michimiya can agree, and he looks over his shoulder to see her catching up quickly. They crash against the wall at the other end, panting and laughing, and Daichi feels a pang in his chest that he suspects has nothing to do with how heavily he’s breathing.

“You’re so unfit,” Michimiya teases.

“Come on,” Daichi says, “you’re just as breathless.”

Michimiya smiles at him slowly, rubbing a hand across her eyes. “Yeah,” she says, “I am.”

 

* * *

 

It’s late at night, and Daichi is pretty sure he’s the only one awake. The ceiling is very interesting at this time of night. Daichi thought he’d be more nervous about his first training camp with his new team, but the other first years became his friends so easily, and the girls’ team is just at the other side of the camping ground, so he runs into Michimiya every now and then. And it’s been good.

Daichi rolls over on his futon and glances at Sugawara, whose eyes are wide open. He looks startled to be caught lying awake, so Daichi shifts slightly closer.

“Sugawara-kun, you’re awake too?” he asks, voice barely above a whisper.

“Obviously,” Sugawara replies quietly, relaxing and rolling his eyes a bit.

“It’s too exciting to sleep,” Daichi admits.

Sugawara hums. “Say, Sawamura-kun, do you want to go on a late night adventure?”

“We’ll get in _so_ much trouble,” Daichi says, although he’s contemplating it.

It seems like Sugawara can read his expression. “Great. I’ll wake Azumane-kun.”

Azumane doesn’t wake easily—he doesn’t respond even after Sugawara shakes his shoulder three times in a row. It takes Sugawara tickling under his arms to stir him, which is easy because they’re sprawled out wide around him, and when he startles awake, Sugawara shoves a hand over his mouth.

“Sgwrrr, whhh—”

“Shh, Azumane-kun, we’re just kidnapping you,” Sugawara says.

“That’s not really helpful,” Daichi says.

Sugawara glares at him. “Of course it is.”

It’s still not helpful, though, not when they’re out in the cold night air in nothing but pyjamas, and Azumane is shivering and saying over and over what a bad idea this is.

“Where’s your sense of fun!” Sugawara says, probably a bit louder than is sensible.

“I left it at home,” Azumane says dejectedly.

“Aren’t those the girls’ quarters over there?” Daichi asks. “It’s hard to tell in the dark.”

“Ooh,” Sugawara says, his tone set to teasing, “is Sawamura-kun thinking of meeting up with a _girl_?”

“Don’t be stupid,” Daichi says. “I just—”

“You have a friend on the team, though, right?” Azumane asks.

“Well, yeah,” Daichi says. “We went to middle school together.”

“So cute,” Sugawara says. “Say, have either of you ever had a girlfriend?”

As Azumane stutters out a “no,” Daichi shakes his head.

“Boyfriend?” Sugawara presses.

“No!” Daichi says. Azumane keeps stuttering.

“How am I supposed to play truth or dare with boring people like you!” Sugawara says, running his hands down his face.

“You—” Daichi begins. “You dragged us out here to play truth or dare?”

Sugawara looks out from between his hands and shrugs. “We couldn’t very well do it back in the sleeping quarters.”

“I can’t believe—”

Daichi cuts himself off when he sees a head poke around the corner of the door to where the girls are staying. He relaxes when he recognises it as Michimiya, though, and when she notices him she jumps a bit before closing the door behind her and coming to join them.

“ _What_ are you three doing out here?” she asks, amused.

“We’re about to play truth or dare!” Sugawara says. He gives an involuntary shiver, presumably from the cold, but looks no less determined.

“I dare us all to go to bed,” Azumane says, a bit forlornly.

Daichi is energised now, though, and doesn’t feel like he’ll be able to sleep any time soon. “That’s not how the game works,” he says.

“Right,” Sugawara says, sitting down and gesturing for the others to follow suit. “We take it in turns to ask questions. Sawamura-kun, ask me, truth or dare?”

“Truth or dare?” Daichi asks, sitting across from Sugawara. Michimiya and, eventually, Azumane, join them.

“Truth,” Sugawara says.

Daichi pauses to think of a question. “Um, have you ever kissed anyone?”

“Yes,” Sugawara says simply. “And since that was a yes-or-no, that’s all you’re getting. Michimiya—truth or dare?”

Michimiya presses a finger to her lips in thought. “I think at this time of night it’s safer to say truth…”

Sugawara gets a look on his face that is positively villainous. “Hmm… do you like anyone?”

Blushing and biting her lip, Michimiya looks away.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Sugawara says.

“I never said— _ugh_ ,” Michimiya says, “I’m going back to bed.”

Daichi watches her leave with a frown. He hadn’t realised she liked someone, but when Sugawara brought it up, it seemed so obvious. “I wonder who she likes,” he says.

Sugawara chuckles a bit, but when Azumane joins in with a cautious giggle, Sugawara breaks out into a full-blown fit of cackles.

Captain Tashiro is not amused when he finds them.

 

* * *

 

“—and it’s tough, you know?”

“I know,” Michimiya says. “I can only imagine how bad it is to have a coach who works you so hard. Our training regime is pretty slack as it is.”

Daichi pokes at the extravagant ice cream sundae they’re sharing. It had been his idea—he needed to relax after two hours of torture at the hands of Coach Ukai, and the summer heat was really getting to him.

“And five of the first years have left,” he continues. “Well, only two of them have properly quit. I think the other three are just not coming. It’s only a matter of time.”

“That’s no good,” Michimiya says. “Didn’t you have a record number this year?”

“Yeah, and now there are only _two_ left,” Daichi says.

He knows he’s whinging, but if anyone will listen to him, it’s Michimiya. Besides, Azumane says the regime is pushing his boundaries and all he wants to do in his spare time is sleep. Suga hasn’t complained once, but Daichi knows he’s feeling it just as badly as anyone else, and Daichi doesn’t want to be the one to push Suga until he snaps.

“It’ll get better,” Michimiya says reassuringly. “You’ll get used to the training, and maybe those three first years will come back.”

“Maybe,” Daichi says.

“For now, you should just try to enjoy your spare time!” Michimiya says. “It’s good to do things like this sometimes, going out and taking your mind off it.”

“You should try harder to distract me, then,” Daichi says.

“Um,” Michimiya says, “how would I do that?”

“I don’t really know,” Daichi says, taking a spoonful of ice cream. “I’m good at rallying everyone’s spirits in practice, and Kurokawa’s told me he thinks I’ll be the next captain, but…”

“But?”

“I guess I can’t pep myself up when it counts,” he concludes.

“Don’t let it get you down,” Michimiya says. “We can keep going out for dessert after practice, if you want.”

“I’d like that,” Daichi says. “You’re good company, you know?”

“T-thanks,” Michimiya says. “I don’t really think of myself that way, but, um…”

“Well, you’re technically my oldest friend,” Daichi says.

Michimiya’s eyes go wide. “You mean you haven’t kept in touch with anyone else from middle school?”

“Technically, though, we’ve known each other longer,” he says.

At that, smiles and rests her chin on her hands. “That’s true,” she says. “I really am lucky to have been your friend for so long.”

“Ah, now you’re going to embarrass me,” Daichi says.

Michimiya laughs, and scoops up some ice cream with her spoon. She shoves it across the table and against Daichi’s closed lips. “Don’t try me, Sawamura. I _will_ embarrass you.”

Daichi decides to embarrass her right back by opening his mouth and eating the ice cream. “Ew,” he says. “Tastes like girl germs.”

They hold straight-faced eye contact for all of five seconds before Daichi laughs, and Michimiya retracts the spoon, blushing.

“I, um,” she begins, “I need to go to the bathroom!”

“Be back soon,” Daichi says, “or I’ll finish this sundae myself.”

Michimiya doesn’t say anything, though, just scuttles off with a hand over her mouth. Daichi hopes she isn’t getting sick—because he just _ate from her spoon_.

 

* * *

 

After Suga beats everyone at Brawl for the fifth time that evening, video games stop being so much fun and Daichi insists they turn off the console. Asahi looks quietly grateful.

It’s still sinking in that they’ve graduated, and in the silence after the game’s music stops everyone looks around awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Or maybe that’s just how Daichi’s feeling.

“Drinks!” Suga says suddenly. “Daichi, do you have any drinks?”

“Huh?” Asahi says. “You can’t mean alcohol, Suga…”

“Of course not,” Suga says, although Asahi doesn’t look convinced. “I just meant lemonade, or something.”

“Um, yeah, I’ve got lemonade,” Daichi says, feeling a bit stilted and weird. He invited everyone around for a post-graduation party, expecting it to be a real celebration, but it’s just kind of _sad_. “Suga, you want to help me get some cups?”

“Sure,” Suga says. “Michimiya, can you come too?”

“Um, okay?” Michimiya says, getting to her feet. “How many do we need?”

“There are—” Daichi begins, doing a quick count of the room, “—eight of us. Does everyone want a drink?”

There’s a chorus of yeses, and Daichi leads the way to the kitchen with Suga and Michimiya following.

“We need to make this feel more like a party,” Daichi says.

“Don’t go all motivational on us now, captain,” Suga jokes.

“I won’t,” Daichi says. “Anyway, it’s Asahi’s job to say something corny.”

Suga clutches his pocket suddenly, pulling out his phone. He flips it open and takes the call.

“Hello?”

Daichi exchanges a glance with Michimiya. He hadn’t heard Suga’s phone ringing, but then it was probably just on vibrate.

“I’ve got to take this,” Suga says, holding his phone away from his ear. “I’ll be back in a minute!”

Suga dashes out of the kitchen, leaving Daichi and Michimiya standing around. It’s sort of an awkward silence, so Daichi breaks it by getting some cups out. He’s about to hand them to Michimiya when she goes as stiff as a robot.

“Michimiya? Are you alright?”

“Fine,” she says, blinking a few times. “Is—is that the charm I gave you before your match with Shiratorizawa?”

“Oh, yeah,” Daichi says. “I pinned it above the fridge during exams so that every time I took a snack break I’d have something to motivate me to keep working. I guess I forgot to move it back to my room.”

Michimiya looks at her feet. “That’s really sweet of you,” she says quietly.

“It’s nothing, really,” Daichi says. “No-one outside of my family had ever given me a charm before, so I’ve been putting this one to extra use.”

“Do you think the luck ever runs out?” Michimiya asks.

“I hope not,” Daichi says, “because I get the feeling I’ll need this again eventually.”

“I can get you another, if you want,” she says quickly. “Or we can go to the shrine together.”

“Actually,” he says, “I’d like that.”

“Yeah?”

“Since you’re my oldest friend, Yui,” Daichi says, “let’s go to the shrine tomorrow and make sure we have good luck for the future.”

Michimiya looks back up, biting her lip. “Daichi, I—”

There’s a crash from the other room, and a yell.

“I should check that out,” Daichi says.

“I’ll bring the glasses,” Michimiya says.

Daichi gives her a smile as he heads out of the kitchen. “Tomorrow, though. I’ll hold you to it.”

 

* * *

 

Daichi is freaking out. He has class in an hour and a very strong suspicion that his lecturer’s going to spring a quiz on them, and his shoulder is still hurting from where Kamasaki accidentally served a volleyball right into his back yesterday, and all his books are in his dorm and Asahi has his keys, and he has a crush on Yui and _no_ idea what to do about it.

“Asahi, come on,” he says, “answer your phone!”

Seconds later, the ringing stops. “Daichi?”

“Asahi, you’ve got to help me,” Daichi says.

“I know, I found your keys in my bag,” Asahi says sheepishly. “I’m still at Noya’s place, though; I’ll be back by tonight, but until then—”

“I slept in Iwaizumi’s room because I didn’t want to bother the RA,” Daichi says. “He wasn’t happy about me borrowing clothes and a towel, but he said he’s got a three strikes policy, so I’m not in the bad books just yet.”

“Okay,” Asahi says slowly. “But, uh, we’ve established that I can’t help you right now… ?”

“Yeah,” Daichi says. “I need your help with something else.”

Daichi can hear Asahi shuffling about on the other end. “What is it?”

“I like Yui,” Daichi says. It’s good to say it out loud. “Like, I _really_ like her, Asahi, and I don’t know what to do about it.”

“Really?” Asahi asks.

“Yes really,” Daichi says, a bit frantically.

“For how long?”

“A few hours,” Daichi says. “It just—it hit me like a ton of bricks, you know? I _like_ her. What am I meant to do now?”

“Usually I’d be the one panicking and you’d be the one giving me advice,” Asahi says. “Just tell her, Daichi.”

“ _How_ ,” Daichi says through clenched teeth. “I’ve known her for so long… surely it’d be weird just to spring this on her?”

“I don’t think she’ll be too shocked,” Asahi says.

“This isn’t helping.”

“Just _tell_ her!” Asahi laughs cautiously. “I have to go, okay, but—good luck, Daichi.”

Daichi takes a deep breath. “Thanks,” he says.

And then he runs. He runs from the bathrooms on Iwaizumi’s floor to the dorms at the other end of campus where Yui’s living and takes the stairs two or three at a time. He makes a sharp turn around the corner to Yui’s dorm and bangs on her door, just once.

“Yui!”

“Just a second,” she says.

Daichi pauses, leaning against the wall and breathing heavily. “I’m in a rush for class,” he says. “I just have to—”

The door opens, and Yui pokes her head around the corner. “Daichi? What’s—are those new clothes?”

“They’re not mine,” Daichi says. He’s supposed to be keeping himself stable now that he’s at uni, but here he is standing in front of his crush’s dorm in his friend’s clothes about to have a heart attack.

“So, um…”

“Yui, I like you,” Daichi says, quickly, before he can overthink it.

Yui stares at him. “You—”

“I _really_ like you,” Daichi amends. “But I don’t want to mess things up, so, if you don’t feel the same way…”

“Daichi,” Yui says, “you are an _idiot_.”

Daichi blinks at her. “Huh?”

“You _really_ don’t know how I feel?” Yui says, punching Daichi in the stomach. “I’ve liked you since _first year_.”

“Of high school?” Daichi asks hopefully, rubbing his stomach.

“Of _middle school_ ,” Yui says. “I _confessed_ to you at the cultural festival in our second year—remember? And you thought I was just being friendly and said you really liked me too and what a _good friend_ I was—”

“Please, spare me,” Daichi says, laughing.

“—and at our first Karasuno training camp, when Suga asked me if I liked anyone and I refused to answer? And when I gave you the charm before your match? And when I saw it in your kitchen I tried to confess again, but then—”

“Stop, _stop_ ,” Daichi says. “Okay, I’m an idiot. But, maybe you’ll go out with me anyway?”

Yui grins, her cheeks bright red but her smile even brighter. “Of _course_ I will.”

She grabs the front of Daichi’s borrowed shirt and stands on her toes just as he bends down, and their mouths meet for the briefest of moments, but Daichi feels like he’s flying.

“Want to skip class and go to the park?” Yui asks, mumbling into Daichi’s lips.

“Yeah,” Daichi says, grinning. “Race you there.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment and/or chat to me!
> 
> (Btw please don't skip class at uni, especially when you have a quiz. Don't be like Daichi.)


End file.
